Desert boronia

Appearance

''Boronia inornata'' is an erect or spreading shrub that grows to a height of 0.2–1.2 m tall with warty, glandular stems covered with short, soft hairs. The leaves have three thick, glabrous leaflets 1.5–4 mm long. The flowers are pink, red or white and arranged singly or in groups of two or three in leaf axils or on the tips of the branches. The four sepals are rounded, 1.5–2 mm long and sometimes hairy. The four petals are 3–5 mm long. Flowering occurs from May to December and the fruit are smooth and 4–5 mm long.

Naming

''Boronia inornata'' was first formally described in 1852 by Nikolai Turczaninow and the description was published in ''Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de Moscou''. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "unadorned".

There are two subspecies:
⤷  ''Boronia inornata'' Turcz. subsp. ''inornata'' has densely hairy leaves, hairy sepals and a strong citrus odour;
⤷  ''Boronia inornata'' subsp. ''leptophylla'' Burgman has glabrous leaflets, sepals and petals.

Subspecies ''leptophylla'' was previously known as ''Boronia clavellifolia''.

Distribution

Desert boronia grows on undulating plains, on rocky hills and near salt lakes. Subspecies ''inornata'' only occurs in Western Australia growing in mallee woodland, sometimes in large numbers, especially on disturbed soil and after bushfires. Both subspecies occur in the Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions of Western Australia. Subspecies ''leptophylla'' is also widespread in the south of South Australia.

Status

Both subspecies of ''Boronia inornata'' are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Habitat

Desert boronia grows on undulating plains, on rocky hills and near salt lakes. Subspecies ''inornata'' only occurs in Western Australia growing in mallee woodland, sometimes in large numbers, especially on disturbed soil and after bushfires. Both subspecies occur in the Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions of Western Australia. Subspecies ''leptophylla'' is also widespread in the south of South Australia.